Find Your Balance: Benefits of probiotics while taking antibiotics

Dec 15, 2016

Our bodies are full of bacteria – often good, but sometimes not so good.

In certain cases of illnesses, antibiotics are administered to kill off the bad bacteria. Consequently, good bacteria also take a hit and are broken down by the antibiotics. For those of you who care about caring for your microbes, there is a natural way to accomplish restoring balance to your body.

Where there is an antibiotic, there is a probiotic that can help balance it! Research shows that it’s wise to supplement the use of antibiotics with probiotics in order to replenish good bacteria and keep antibiotic side effects at bay. Here’s how you can help bring balance to your body:

Eat some yogurt!

Yogurt lovers, rejoice. Yogurt contains a number of healthy bacteria that can make up for the good bacteria you lose when taking antibiotics. Eating this sometimes-sweet treat is also proven to reduce side effects of antibiotics (like gas and diarrhea) and build up your healthy bacteria count.

Be sure to find a brand of “probiotic” yogurt such as Activia to boost your immunities and replenish good bacteria in your body. Also, medical professionals recommend buying plain probiotic yogurt and adding your own fruit to it to reduce the amounts of sugar you’re eating.

All-natural probiotic supplements are your friend

Health food stores or vitamin shops frequently offer natural probiotic supplements. Depending on the brand, you can find probiotic supplements in the form of pills, chewable tablets and even gummy vitamins! These can be used in tandem with your antibiotics.

Cheers to Kefir

If yogurt isn’t your thing or if you want to branch out and try something different, pour yourself a glass of Kefir. Kefir is a milk-based probiotic beverage that has a unique taste with massive health benefits.

Milk from cows, goats or sheep is fermented with Kefir grains and turned into a distinctive beverage often called “drinkable yogurt.” It’s rich with probiotics and can be a helpful aid to combat side effects from antibiotics.

If you choose to supplement your antibiotics with probiotics, just make sure you do not take them at the exact same time. Wait approximately two hours after taking your antibiotics to take your probiotics, and continue the intake of probiotics for about two weeks after your antibiotics run out.

Taking care of your immune system via ingestion is important not only for your stomach but also for your skin! Skin conditions such as acne, eczema, rosacea and more can be caused by a digestive system imbalance.

All of the systems in your body work together as a team. By monitoring the antibiotics and probiotics you let enter your body, you are also being mindful of how the outside of your body looks and feels. As a result, your skin will thank you for taking care of the rest of your system.

In addition to the many tasty probiotic options, try one of the probiotic-rich facial products we offer at BioEsse. Treating your stomach and your skin right will help boost your microbes and maintain a healthy lifestyle.